Bzzt

Scottish Cup Final Review

Well a few days have passed since what could have been a great moment in Hibernians history. One thing for sure is that it won’t be forgotten but for all the wrong reasons.

If the game was to be played in the stands, the Hibs would certainly have won. The atmosphere pre-game from both sets of supporters was electric and the excitement was palpable. 

Hibernian supporters had gone to a lot of effort before the game to make their end a sea of green. With card displays and flags for all fans it would have been a sight to behold for the players coming out the tunnel. Hearts meanwhile opted for a large ‘crowed-surfer’ flag and some fairly homosexual scarf twirling. No contest really.

The optimism from both sets of fans was high, its a shame that when the game started it was clear one set of players didn’t share the same belief.

They say the 12th man has a massive part to play in helping a team get a victory. Well as supporters we did all we could by cheering the team on and I even lost my voice but apart from 1 or 2 players, nobody in green wanted it.

1-0 down.

2-0 down.

No reaction from any player.  They looked slow, uninterested and second to every ball.  The few rare times we did string a move together there was little movement which was massively frustrating.  At times Hearts were toying with us until a few minutes before the break when McPake, our standout player, managed to tap in from close range. To say this was a lifeline was an understatement.  To go in at half time only a goal down was a real bonus, it maybe should have been more but the key thing was that it was just 1. 

As the Hibs players were roared off the pitch, I knew a reaction had to come in the second half. A real shame though a Mr Craig Thomson was going to get involved.

40 seconds into the second half and we are a man down, penalty scored and now trailing 3-1.  The ‘foul’ for the penalty was never inside the box when Santana dived. Gutted. No argument about the red as there was a foul outside the box but the penalty was twisting the knife.  At this point everyone knew the game was done. The mountain was to steep to climb. 

The Hearts scored 2 more before the referee put us out of our misery.

What a nightmare.  Coming away from the ground the overriding feeling though wasn’t of disappointment, wasn’t of frustration, it was of anger. I was angry as to why those 11 players on the pitch played like they didn’t care. Played like it didn’t matter.  They massively let every single supporter down on Saturday and for that it will be hard to forgive. 

The cup run was always a bonus, the team we had was hopeless and Hearts were always the favourites.  So in a way nothing was shocking.  We have had much better teams than that not win cups and so we will dust ourselves down and pick ourselves up.  The taunting about the cup will continue but for this game, it has to be taken on the chin.

Hearts have more quality players, played better and showed fight.  However hard to say, on the day, Hearts more than deserved it.

It feels a dark time to be a Hibs fan just now but this is as low as it can get.  The board, the management team and the players will take stock and hopefully come back stronger next season.

A few months off talking about Hibs might be a good thing.

Final Game - No Pressure

Hibernians final game of what has been a roller coaster season comes to an end at the Caledonian Stadium.

I think one statistic that puts our season into perspective is that if Hibs win today they will have won more games in Inverness than they have in Edinburgh this season.

That stat and that stat alone shows why Hibs have had such a poor season. Home wins were very few and very far between.

Another fact is that Hibernian did not manage one weekend home win all season.

The two home games we did manage to win though proved vital to our SPL survival. The second was of course our must win game on Monday night against Dunfermline.  The game was built up as a must win for Hibs and in the first 15 minutes the team responded like winners.  Before Fat Jim could finish his pre-match pie, Hibs were flying and 3 goals clear. The goals settled down the team and a bumper crowd at Easter Road really got behind the team and what could have been a nervy 90 minutes turned in a very comfortable victory.  With nothing much happening on the pitch, much of the Hibernian fans singing was aimed towards the away dug out with Jeffries on the receiving end of the abuse.

The 3 points gained not only ensured SPL safety for Hibs but also condemned Dunfermline to the 1st Division. This now means, 7 days before the Scottish Cup Final, manager Pat Fenlon can put out a team and play a game with no pressure.  Key personnel can be rested and fringe players given a chance.

The performance and result does not matter today.  The most important thing is that come Monday before the team fly to Dublin we have a fully fit squad.

A final fact is that for all the season has been poor, it could still be the best season for many many years, arguably EVER. 1 game can change that and we are only a week away from it.

Biggest Win of the Season

Wednesdays game in Aberdeen was what I consider to be the most important win of this whole entire season.  Never has 3 points meant so much.

The team travelled to Pitroddie in desperate need of a win.  With only 3 games to go and only 3 points ahead of Dunfermline a win was vital.

Before the game there was mixed team news with McPake dropping out with a groin injury but O’Connor coming in to the team.  Sean O’Hanlon came in and played superbly even getting himself an important goal.

The team though as a whole stepped up and really showed the metal that Fenlon has instilled into them that when it matters it can be used.  We just got that bit of luck and took chances to win the game, that was the only difference in this match to the previous ones we had lost.

With Dunfermline drawing 0-0 it now means the gap has grown to 5 points with 2 games to play.  1 point from any of our last 2 fixtures will be enough but a win on Monday would relegate Dunfermline as well as embarrass Jim Jeffries. Double whammy if there ever was one.

Sorting out our SPL future on Monday would mean the game in Inverness is pointless and our key players can be rested. Thats the ideal situation so hopefully Fenlon gets his first win at Easter Road while relegating Dunfermline.

Chances Missed

You would have thought with a Scottish Cup Final coming up Easter Road would be buzzing with excitement.  Actually you would be very wrong.

For all that cup has been a welcome distraction from a poor season, we are still having that poor season and now find ourselves only 3 points above Dunfermline.

Results at the weekend did not go our way at all and now we find ourselves travelling up to Aberdeen tonight in desperate need of 3 points as we just don’t know what Dunfermline are capable of doing.

A loss for Hibs and a win for Dunfermline would, to put it mildly, be a disaster.

The thought of playing in the First Division with the number of fans and facilities Hibs has does not bear thinking about.

The performances the team have not been putting in have not been bad at all. The team has played some nice stuff but in our last few games partly bad luck and also missed chances have conspired against us.  For example against St Mirren at the weekend, if Doyle buries his chance from 6 yards out we go onto win that game. But we don’t.

That is where the quality from the likes of Griffths and O’Connor shows. They don’t need 2 chances, they need one and they stick it away. And that is why these 2 players will be massive in our next few games.

So forget about Hampden and forget about the cup final the most important thing for Hibernian this season is to remain in the SPL and any fan who thinks the cup is bigger is deluded. 

Hopefully tonight we can take our chances and get points on the board before our ‘unofficial’ cup final at Easter Road on Monday against Dunfermline.

Lets step up to the plate Hibs.

Scottish Cup Final 2012 In Numbers

Here is a quick look at the Scottish Cup Final in numbers.

1 - The number of teams that will leave Hampden as winners after the final

2 - The number of goals Hearts beat Hibs by the last time the two teams met

3 - The number of wins Hearts have had over Hibs this season

4 - The number of goals Hearts scored against Hibs the last time they met at Hampden

5 - The minimum number of games required for an SPL team to win the cup in 1 season

6 - The number of years since Hearts last won the Scottish Cup

7 - The record winning margin in a derby, Hibs beat Hearts 7-0

8 - The number of goals Hibs have scored so far in this years cup to reach the final

9 - The number of Scottish Cup Finals Hibernian have played in without winning

10 - The number of derbies Hibs have gone without a win

11 - The number of players on each team who could make history

12 - Hibs longest unbeaten steak against Hearts

13 - The number of Yellow Cards Ian Black has been shown in all competitions 

14 - The number of goals Skacel has scored this season (Club Top Scorer)

15 - The number of goals Garry O’Connor has scored this season (Club Top Scorer)

19 - The date in May which the Scottish Cup Final will be contested

21 - The number of players who have left Hibs since the summer

57 - The number of shots Leigh Griffths has had this season

63 - The number of Yellow Cards Hearts have been shown this season

110 - The number of years since Hibernian last won the Scottish Cup

20,000 - The number of tickets Hibernian and Hearts fans will receive each for Hampden Park

1 million+ - The number of people in 50 years time who were actually there that day

Who Would be A Referee…

Not many people leaving Easter Road on Sunday after the 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock would have given the referee a thumbs up.

Its hard, especially in Scotland, to talk about referees without being accused of being all Celtic or paranoid about it.  The reasons we have lost these games may not have been directly because of the referee but there is one current ‘UEFA Elite Referee’ who loves nothing more than making the game more about him than the football. His name is Craig Thomson and his most recent performance was verging on cheating more than incompetence.  

Not since the ‘Freeland-gate’ incident of 2006 has there been a worse performance at Easter Road from a referee.  The odd error or whatever is totally fine and understandable but things such as no consistency and allowing one team away with something but booking the opposition player when they do the same thing is really hard to understand.

In the last 6 games for Hibs when Thomson has been the referee we have not won any of them and scored none.  He booked Griffths for diving when he was clearly fouled, awarded Aberdeen a penalty when it wasn’t, booked several Hibs players for nothing while allowing opposition players away with it and not given what could have been 4 penalties.

How this man is considered fit enough to go to Euro 2012 I really don’t understand.  Even the European games this season that he has been involved in he has made errors, massive ones.  While in charge of an FC Twente - Schalke 04 game, the Twente attacker runs into the box and falls over his own feet.  Referee Thomson heads straight over, penalty and red card for the defender.  Cue the players going mental and the fans going crazy.  Big Thommo strikes again.

Im not saying being a referee is easy as Im sure it is very difficult.  But fairness of decisions, an understanding from the stands of why that decision was made and obvious  fouls etc called surely are the fundamentals for a referee.

Worryingly it looks like the big man will be taking charge of the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden on the 19th of May.  Its already going to be a difficult task but add to the fact this clown is going to be in charge makes things even worse for Hibs!

I dont believe a game without a referee would work but you have to wonder, would the players self-refereeing really be any worse….

Scottish Cup Final Here We Come

Well I can’t believe it.  Hibernian have managed to get to the Scottish Cup Final.

After a terrible season, this could make it the most memorable in the clubs history.

Arriving at Hampden Park at 12pm the stadium was filling up nicely with both clubs taking around 14,000 each which was very impressive.

The game started brightly but before either team was allowed to settle Hibs were 1-0 up.

Hibs full back Pa Kujabi swung in a delightful ball to the near post which Garry O’Connor guided beautifully past the Dons keeper, Jason Brown.

After a balanced first half with both clubs jostling to take control the players went in with Hibs still 1-0 ahead.

Aberdeen came out at the beginning of the second half and had the best of the pressure without testing Stack once.  In fact it wasn’t until 59 minutes with Aberdeen’s first real shot on target they scored. A loose header from Matt Doherty allowed Fallon to control the ball on his chest and hit a ‘Crouch-esq’ shot into the top corner.  Nothing Stack could do about it and Aberdeen pulled the game back to 1-1.

As in standard Hibs fashion under Fenlon the players didn’t let the fact the other team had scored get them down.  In fact they upped their game and started creating much more with Griffths hitting the post and Osborne having a few shots blocked.  The game looked set to be heading for a draw until rock at the back and Man of the Match James McPake won a header just inside the Aberdeen half.  The header went to O’Connor who played a lovely ball over to Griffths who with his weaker foot slotted the ball across the keeper and into the bottom corner.  With only 6 minutes remaining, Hibs had a 2-1 lead.

5 minutes of added time was indicated and you could feel the excitement in the Hibernian end.  All Hibernian supporters to a man were standing, singing their hearts out to spur the players on.  After what felt more like 50 minutes than 5 minutes the full time whistle blew and we had done it.

All the Hibernian players came over to the Hibs fans to celebrate and you could see what it meant to the likes of Leigh Griffths and Garry O’Connor.  These guys live and breathe Hibs so they know what the final means.  Even players like McPake, who was outstanding, was pumped up and clapped the fans enthuastically.

90 minutes from becoming legends.

Hibs Are Off To Hampden

Would you believe it. After a 5 year wait and with a team that are second bottom of the league we have made it to Hampden Park for the Scottish Cup Semi-Final.

If you had asked me in January before the Cowdenbeath game if we would make it I would have been very doubtful but I think a lot of credit has to go to Pat Fenlon for getting us there.

The changes he made in January were vital but there was no panic buys, he has brought in quality players with the right mentality. The game on Saturday was not the best we have played in recent weeks but it was always going to be our attitude that would get us through. As long as we matched Ayr for work rate all over the pitch, the skill from the likes of Griffths and Osbourne would shine through, and it did. 

This has to have been my most enjoyable away day of the season. Arriving in Ayr late in the morning there were plenty green and white scarfs about already which made the place much more welcoming. In fact, 3,500 Hibs fans would make the journey, outnumbering the home support. From early afternoon we found a local pub for drinks before heading along to Somerset Park. 

To say the ground was basic would be an understatement. I don’t think it has changed since at least the 1950s. But for all the roof had a massive hole in it, the turnstiles were about to fall down and there was no actual toilets it was everything that I enjoy about a football match. Standing terracing with everyone packed in together. The atmosphere from start to finish from the Hibs fans was amazing which really spurred the players on and brought the stadium to life. A few flares from both ends helped add to the atmosphere and I now understand why the older generations don’t like the modern stadia. Give me 90 mins of standing on a bit of raised concrete over a modern stadium any day.

Hibs started the game perfectly and the best way to describe the game would be straightforward. We came out the traps and scored 2 early goals and were never under any pressure. The first goal was a great flick header from O’Donovan which totally caught the Ayr defence out. The second was a penalty because of shirt pulling in the box which Griffths hit with such power and conviction that he actually broke the net.

The second half Ayr had more of a go and Stack had to make 1 double save but other than that there was no problems for our defence at all.  Overall Hibs could really have and should have scored a couple more but keeping a clean sheet was also very important. 

The semi final draw was also very kind to us. Being potentially the team that everyone else wanted it was good to avoid Hearts/St Mirren and Celtic to set up a semi-final against Aberdeen. 3 very close games this season with only a dodgy penalty giving Aberdeen a slight edge. We should have won the game at Easter Road a few weeks back so this game will be very close. Aberdeen have a couple of players suspended so that might favour us but either way the chance to reach a final and shatter the hoodoo that hangs above Hibs head is there. 

Still on for an Edinburgh Derby final as well. As they say if your going to win it, may as well win it with style.